Wrench.



L. S. WHITEHEAD.

WRENCH. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 9, 1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

- ran' anion.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11,1913.

Application filed March 9, 1912. Serial No. 682,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO S. VVnrrnr-mao, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a "specification.

The present invention has reference to wrench constructions, and it resides, briefly,

in certain improvements relating more or less closely to the device shown and described in my prior Patent, No. 1,015,659, dated January 23, 1912, whereby such device is materially simplified and its gripping power increased.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are face views, partly in section, of the improved wrench, showing the parts thereof in normal and operated positions, respectively; Figs. 3 and l are detail views of one of the connecting links and the main operating element, respectively.

The wrench is of the single handle type, and, as shown, includes, in addition to the handle or lever 1, a pair of jaw-carrying members Qand 3, and a pair of connecting links 4 and 5. The members 2 and 3 are formed with jaws 6 and 7, respectively, and with thin flat shanks 8 and 9, the latter parts occupying a common plane and being connected by a yoke or collar 10 rigidly secured to shank 8, which collar serves as a guide for shank 9 during the hereinafter- (gescribed relative movement of said memers.

The outer portion 11 of the operating lever l is of bifurcated or yoke-like formation, as depicted in Fig. 4, and such portion is offset or inclined,.thus giving said lever substantially the shape of a bell-crank. The two arms of this yoke project across or straddle the inner portions of the shanks 8 and 9, are pivoted at their free ends to the former, and are provided adjacent their inner ends with registering slots 12, said slots thus being located at the apex of the bell- .crank, and being disposed longitudinally of the major arm thereof. Said lever is further connected with the two members 2 and 3, in such a manner as to efi'ect the requisite movements thereof, through the agency of the links 4 and 5. Link 1 comprises a body portion of channel shape, the walls of which are extended at their outer ends to form a body portion yoke 13 whose arms or members also project outwardly at an angle across shanks 8 and 9, the free ends of said arms being pivoted to shank 8 adjacent collar 10. The inner ends of said side walls are joined by a. cross-pin 14 which passes through the slots 12 in arms 11, the space between said walls receiving the portions of said arms wherein the slots are formed, as will be understood. The general shape of link 4'. is, therefore, that of a bell-crank.

Link 5 is similar, in the main, to the corresponding element in the patented construction and comprises a channel-shaped whose outer end extends into the channel of link 4 and is pivoted in the outer end thereof, as depicted in Fig. 1, while its inner end is provided with a yoke 15 which straddles shank 9. Against the inner edges of the arms or members of this yoke rests a tooth 16 that is designed for interchangeable engagement with the longitudinal series of notches 17 formed in the inner portion of the rear edge ofshank 9.

ll/[embcr 3 is adjustable bodily relatively to member 2, and is held normally in position, when adjusted, by means of a spring 18 which is disposed in the channel of link 4 and is secured at its inner end therein, its free end bearing against the body portion of link 5 so as to retain tooth 16 in the corresponding notch 17. To release tooth 16 from its notch, it is necessary merely to swin g link 5 inwardly of the channel in link 4, by means of its yoke 15, whereupon member 3 may be moved endwise in either direction to the extent desired, after which said tooth will seat itself automatically in the proper notch'upon the removal of pressure from said yoke.

In the operation of the device, assuming that member i has first been adjusted relatively to member 2 in the manner above described the object to be turned or gripped is introduced between the jaws 6 and 7, and the lever 1 then forced inwardly, (from the osition shown in Fig. 1 to that shown Fig. 2 This movement of the lever Wlll produce a corresponding inward and rearward movement of link 4, and, as a result, link 5 will be caused to move rearward, as in the earlier construction, thereby drawing member 3 rearward as the movement of the lever and link 4 continue, the pressure exerted upon the former will be transmitted to the shank portion of member 2, and that with a jaw and a shank; a bell-crank link pivoted atthe free end of its outer 'arm to the shank of one of said members; a depending link pivoted at its end engaged with the shankof the other member; and an operating bell-crank lever pivoted at the free end of its outer arm to the. shank of the first-named member and having the free end of the lower arm of said bell-crank link connected to its apex to produce a relative endwisemovement oi said members on being swung toward or from the same, whereby the jaws of said members will be caused to approach or recede from each other;

' 2. A wrench comprising, in combination,

- outer end to the apex i of said bell-crank link and having its inner a pair of co-acting members, eazh provided with a jaw and a shank; a bell-crank link pivoted at the free end of its outer arm to the shank of one of said members;'a depend ing link pivoted at its outer end to the apex of said bcll-crank link and having its inner end engaged with the shank of the other member; an operating bell-crank lever pivoted at the free end of its outer arm to the shank of the first-named member and provided at its apex with a slot disposed longitudinally of its inner arm; and a cr0ss-, pin working in said slot and attached to the free end of the inner arm ofsaid bell-crank link, to produce a relative endwise movement of said members when said lever is swung toward or from the same, whereby the jaws of said members will be caused to approach or recede from each othenfl In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presenc, of two subscribing witnesses.

LEO S. VVHITEHEAD. Witnesses:

- WM. G. CALDWELL,

J. H. LEIGHTON. 

